>> they push for a big deal but the clock is ticking. so we learn that yesterday morning president obama met privately with the top two republicans in the house of representatives, speaker john boehner and house majority leader cantor, the republicans are saying there was not a major breakthrough or serious progress made. a lost questions about what this week means because senior officials at the white house are telling us weeks ago this was, really, crunch time. the window of opportunity from the 15th to the 22nd, and today i asked carney about the significance of this point in the calendar. >> it is not a hard deadline but congress, the administration, all of us working together, need to move this ball down the field this week. >>reporter: that is the perspective from the white house. carney would not rule out the possibility of other private meetings with top lawmakers to move the ball down the field, so to speak, but at this point we do not hear any reports of a "deal," at this time. >>shepard: still leading republicans are still pus